Expansible anchor



C E. HANDEL.

Feb. 25, 193% EXPANSIBLE ANCHOR Filed Jan. 6

Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES EXPANSIBLE ANCHOR Charles E. Handel, Winterset,

Iowa, assignor to Wej-Lock Manufacturing Company, Winterset, Iowa,

a corporation of Iowa Application January 6, 1932, Serial No. 585,005

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvement in expansion anchors of that type having a spreader plate, an anchor rod and a movable member on the rod for supporting a series of anchor blades, in which the blades are normally supported in a folded position substantially parallel with the rod, so that the folded assembly may be placed in a comparatively small hole, after which the blades are spread to an open position by moving the movable member toward the spreader plate.

The object of my invention is to provide in an anchor of the type above described, improved means whereby a number of anchoring blades may be considerably increased, and whereby the effective combined anchorage surface of the blades may be considerably increased over devices heretofore used.

A further object is to provide in an anchor of the type above described improved means for locking the blades against folding after they have been spread, said locking means being so arranged that the blades will be locked at a comparatively large number of expanded positions to reduce the initial pull or give of the anchor to a minimum as tension is applied to the anchor rod.

A further object is to provide in an expansion anchor of the type above described, in which is employed a sliding head, improved means for pivotally connecting the blades to said head.

A further object is to provide an expansion anchor of simple, durable and inexpensive construction which may be easily and quickly assembled, and when so assembled is of rigid construction and positive in its action.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved anchor with the anchor blades in their folded position, a portion of the anchor being shown in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the anchor in its expanded position, the anchor rod being removed.

Figure 4 shows the manner in which my improved anchor is supported in the ground before the opening through which the anchor is inserted has been filled.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of a modified form of my anchor.

Figure 6 is a plan view of one of the anchor blades used in the modified form.

Referring to the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral I to indicate a spreader plate, preferably circular in formation, having its top surface formed spherical. Said spherical portion comprises a series of annular steps H concentrically arranged with the center of the plate H]. Said steps may be machined in the plate or cast integral therewith. 1

Projecting upwardly from the center of the plate I0 is an anchor rod l2, preferably having its lower end screw threaded and screwed into a threaded opening IS in the plate l0. Slidably mounted on the rod I2 is a head member l4 comprising a circular plate I 5 having a series of lugs l6 extending downwardly from its under surface and near its periphery.

An annular pivot bar I? is fixed to the lower ends of the outer edges of said lugs I6, so that a series of openings l8 are formed between said lugs, each of said openings being designed to receive a hinge portion 19 of an anchor plate 20, said hinge member being in the form of an upwardly and outwardly extending hook portion cast integral with the blade 20.

Each of the blades 20 has an inclined portion 2! at one edge so arranged that when the blades are in a substantially vertical position with their lower ends resting against the periphery of the disk 18, then the portions 2! will underlap the adjacent edges .of the blades 20, in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Each of the blades 29 has an outwardly extending lug 23 to prevent the binding wire 24 from slipping upwardly. Said wire supports the blades in the folded position, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. It will be seen by reference to Figure 1, that the folded blades 26 and the members Ill and I5 provide a hollow body having substantially the shape of a truncated prism.

The inner edge of each of the portions 2| is provided with a series of teeth 25 designed to engage the edges of the steps H of the plate It! when the blades 20 are in their expanded positions as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and thereby provide means for locking the blades against folding as outward tension is applied to the rod 12.

In applying the anchor, a hole 26 is first formed in the ground surface, said hole being of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the base of the anchor body when in a folded position. The anchor is then placed in the bottom of the hole in the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 4, with the plate I0 resting firmly on the bottom of said hole.

The head I5 is then driven downwardly by means of a suitable tamper, which will cause the lower edges of the plates 20 to be moved downwardly past the periphery of the plate I0 and to be moved to the expanded position shown in Figure 4, the folded anchor being in the hole with the wire 24 intact, said wire being broken by the expanding strain of the blades 20.

l The wire 24 provides means for binding the blades together until the anchor is properly placed in the bottom of the hole. The annular pivot member i1 is of less diameter than the expanding plate It), so that as the head J5 is moved toward the said plate It, the lower ends of the blades 26 will be swung to position in a plane substantially perpendicular to the rod "1.2, inrwhich case the 'outer edge of theplate. l0 serves as a fulcrum for the blades as they are moved into their expanded position.

The teeth 25 and the steps ll provide means whereby the blades will be locked against foldingprnovement as thegod I2 is pulled outwardly, even if the said blades are not moved to their maximum expanded positions. By providing a comparatively large number of 'teeth 25, the aunt of initial upward movement of the plate It asstrain is applied to the rod l2 will thereby be decreased to a minimum.

By forming the upper surface of the plate 'ID somewhat spherical, it will be seen that the edges of some of the steps ll willengage one or more of the teeth of the corresponding blade, whether or not the blades havebeen moved to fully expanded positionywhereby the blades will be'loclsed even if said blades'assume a number of angular positions relative to the plate-10, thereby providing for positively lockingthe blades evenif they are not moved to their maximum expanded positions.

Fi ur s 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of locking means in which each of the blades 20 is provided with a slot 2! arranged substantially radially with the rod l2. Outwardlyrextehding 'lugs 28 are supported preferably near the "outer end of each of said slots, said lugs being designed to' pivotally receive a pawl 29, said pawls'being secured in position by a cotter pin 3!]. Some of the pawls 29 are shorter than others. A fiat disk 3| is then substituted for the plate Ill, said disk being secured to the lower end of the rod l2. By this arrangement it will be seen that if the blades 2!] are moved downwardly and outwardly past the periphery of the disk 3i, the free ends a of the pawls 29 will drop back of the periphery of said disk and thereby provide a lock for preventing inward and upward movement of the blades 20.

By providing pawls of different lengths, means is provided whereby the blades may be locked at various angles relative to the disk 3|. The outer end of each of the pawls 29 is designed to rest against the outer end of the slot 21 to relieve the cotter pins 30 of any strain as it is applied to said pawls.

I claim as my invention:

, 1. An expansible anchor comprising a circular spreader platehaving itsupper surface formed substantially spherical and provided with a se-' ries of annular and concentrically arranged steps,

7 an anchor rod through said plate, a head member slidably mounted on said rod, a series of anchor blades having their upper ends pivoted to said head and their lower ends resting against the peripherylof said plate when folded, one edge of one blade overlapping the adjacent edge of an adjacent blade to form a hollow body having the form of a truncated prism, the inner 7 surface of the underlapping edges of said blades being provided with teeth to coact with said steps when expanded to lock the blades against folding when strainis applied to said rod.

'2. An expansion anchor comprising a spreader plate having its upper surface consisting of a series of closely arranged steps'extending down Wardly from'its central portion, an anchor rod connected to said plate, a head member slidably mounted longitudinally of said rod, aseries of anchor bladeshaving their upper ends pivotally connected to said head and their lower ends resting against the edge of said platewhen folded, one edge of each blade continuously overlapping the adjacent blade to form a hollow body, the inner surface of each blade having a series of closely arrangedand'inwardly project-.

ing 'teethto co act' with said steps when the blades are in an expanded position to lock'the blades against foldingwhen strain isapplied to saidrod. An expansible anchor comprising a circular spreadersplate having its upper surface formed substantially spherical and provided with a series of annular and concentrically arrangedsteps, an anchor rod throughsaid plate, a head member slidably mounted on-saidrod, a series of anchor blades having their upper ends pivoted to said head and their lower ends resting against the periphery of said plate when folded,flthe inner surfaces of said blades being provided with closely arranged teeth to co-act with said steps when moved to any one of a number of expanded positions to lock the blades against folding when strain is applied to said rod.

' CHARLES E. I-IANDEL. 

